First Step
by enits3
Summary: One-shot - Andy and Nick return from their task force, how will they be welcomed back?


**A/N: So...this popped up in my head after I read the info for season 4. If you haven't read it; Nick and Andy returns from the task force 6 months later and Cruz is a new character. This is just an idea and written_ just for fun_, plus I had to get it out of my mind so I can focus on the things I should focus on right now.**

**A/N 2: This one-shot is not edited by anyone and more or less written in a hurry so I could get it off my mind. Please excuse any typus you might find :)**

**Also, for those of my wonderful readers who's waiting for the next chapter of Diving Deep – It's halfway done, but I'm forced to take a little break due to a very busy school schedule in the next weeks. But it is coming! :)**

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Andy hears her heart pounding in her ears when the doors to the warehouse get kicked in at all angles and coppers from fifteen division storms in with their guns raised and aimed.

"Police, don't move!" a familiar voice shouts, echoing through the warehouse.

Her eyes move to where the voice came from, her breath getting caught in her throat by the sight of him. Furrowing her brows slightly by the sight of him in plain clothes and his badge hanging from his pocket. She's forced to look away quickly so she doesn't give away her identity to those she's been faking to be '_Mindy_' for the last six months. What she did notice before she had to look away was that he didn't even look at her.

That probably bothers her more than she has the rights to.

Oliver walks past her to cuff Wolf, the guy Nick and Andy has been working, before he leads him out of the warehouse. Quickly after the others gets cuffed and led away too, Dov takes Nick, who throws a grin over his shoulder to Andy. A woman Andy hasn't seen before comes walking towards her, Andy notes that her nametag says 'Cruz'.

"Cruz, I got this one." Sam says, walking towards Andy. Cruz nods sharply before she cuffs a guy standing next to Andy. Sam comes to stand in front of her, his dark eyes pinning her down. Andy wants to throw herself at him, but the ice cold stare he gives her tells her that it's not that simple. Not that she even expected it to be.

"Miss, turn around. You're under arrest."

Andy smirks instead of turning around. "I haven't done anything wrong," she says, shrugging her shoulders casually.

A gasp escapes from her lips when Sam takes a hold of her wrist, whirls her around and cuffs her hands behind her back a little harder than necessary. Andy tries not to think that he does so he's sure she has no chance at running away from him. _Again_.

Andy thinks it anyway.

"You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you."

With one hand he circles both of her wrists and starts walking her out to the cruiser. Andy turns her head so she can see his face, taking a deep breath by the feeling of his side close to hers. She notices how his jaw is clenched tight and she can practically feel the beat of his heart against her shoulder. He's leaner than he was before she left, she tries not to think of why and fails miserably.

When they reach the cruiser he opens the door and places his palm on the back of her head. "Watch your head," he says before he guides her inside the car. When she's inside he slams the door shut before he turns and shouts for someone.

The woman Andy hadn't seen before comes walking towards him, Sam turns when she reaches him and together they walk towards the cruiser. Sam gets inside on the driver's side while Cruz takes the passenger side. Andy meets Sam's eyes in the rear view, offers him a weak smile he doesn't return.

The drive back to the barn is silent. Andy wonders if Cruz knows Andy is a cop. Wonders if she knows about her and Sam. Wonders if there_ even_ is a Sam and Andy after all this time. Lost in her own thoughts, she doesn't notice that the cruiser is parked before her door opens and Cruz helps her out. Andy soon realizes by the way Cruz handles her that she doesn't know that she's a cop, or maybe she knows, maybe she handles her like that because she know how she left Sam, Andy thinks.

Sam holds the door to booking open for them, doesn't look at any in particular as he does. Booking is crowded; Andy smirks at the faces she's become used to see every day for the last six months and winks at Nick standing in the middle of the line. Cruz places her next to Dave, a guy who's been trying to get in Mindy's pants since the day he laid his eyes on her. "Hey Mindy, maybe they'll throw us in a cell together," Dave says with a wink.

Andy notices the way Sam's hands balls into fists, as he waits for Gail, who's in booking, to get finished with the guy she's currently booking. Andy smirks to Dave, plays her part and decides that in this moment she actually got the balls to mess with Dave. "Maybe," she teases and returns Dave's wink.

Whiteout warning Sam grabs her by her elbow before he leads her down the hallway to the interrogation rooms. Once they're inside he releases her wrists from the cuffs. Andy turns to face him, sweeping her eyes from tip to toe. "So, you're a detective know?" she blurts out and smiles nervously. The response she gets is the door slamming shut behind him. She slumps down in one of the chairs and waits.

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Four hours later Andy and Nick are finally done with debriefing for the day and allowed to go home, Nick hurries after Gail as she rushes out of the station. Andy comes to stand in the entrance to the bullpen, her eyes searching the room for Sam. She sighs when she sees him seated at his new desk in the D's office, frowns when she sees Cruz leaning against it. His familiar laughter reaches Andy's ears, causing her to smile before she remembers that it's not _her_ making him laugh. He doesn't notice her standing there until Traci basically lurches herself at Andy, almost causing both of them to fall over.

"Traci, you're kinda strangling me here," Andy wheezes out.

Traci immediately releases her, grasps her by her shoulders and gives her a shake. "Before I actually start to ignore you for a couple of days," Traci says and rolls her eyes at Andy's raised eyebrows and explains further "because seeing you after six months reminds _us all_ of the anger and hurt we felt back then." Andy opens her mouth to say something, but Traci cuts her off. "I just want to say I'm glad you're back and that you're okay." Andy smiles guiltily to her friend before Traci makes her way around her.

At the corner of her eye she watches Sam walk towards the locker rooms with Cruz right beside him. Andy trails her fingers through her hair and lets out a huff before she goes to the Penny.

Sam is up at the bar when Andy finally gets another chance to talk to him; she leans up next to him and smiles nervously. "Hi."

Sam looks over at her, his face blank and not offering anything. Andy swallows before she speaks again. "Want to have that drink now?" She asks, watching him carefully. Her teeth bites down at her lip as Sam remains silent, his lips parted and eyes narrowed at her. Andy takes a shaky breath just when he's about to say something, but whatever he thought about saying is caught in his throat when Cruz leans up on the other side of him.

"I'm ready for you to buy me that drink now," she says, smirk on her lips and wink in her eyes.

Sam gives her a look before his gaze goes back to Andy. "I uh…" he trails off before the rest of his words get swallowed down.

Andy nods and gives him what she hope is a convincing smile. "It's okay, I got time." She walks backwards a few steps, watching him motion for two beers to Liam.

On her way over to the table filled with her friends, friends that aren't really talking to her tonight, she spots Nick sitting alone at the bar, nursing a glass of scotch. She makes her way over to him and slides down on the stool next to him. He looks over at her, smiling a little sadly at her.

"How did it go?" He asks as he looks over at Sam seated with Cruz and the rest of the TO's.

Andy lets out a breath. "He's giving me the silent treatment… Gail?" she asks back and catches Gail's eyes over Nick's shoulder.

"Oh, she's anything _but_ silent." Nick chuckles and rubs a hand tiredly over his face. "I got a lot of work ahead of me. Got nothing to lose so might as well give it my all…" he trails off.

Andy nods, sees Sam laugh at something Cruz just said. "Actually, you got _too much_ to lose. And so do I." She says and quickly takes Nick's glass and throws back the rest of his drink before she motions for another one to Liam.

"Who's the new TO?" He asks carefully, watching her face for any sign of emotion.

Andy shrugs her shoulders in reply in the same second as Liam comes to fill up two new glasses and places them in front of Nick and Andy. "Do you regret it?" Nick asks.

"Nope," she answers quickly before she downs the entire liquid in the glass, she winces as the liquid burns its way down her throat. "But I do regret not letting him know." She turns to study Nick. "You?"

She watches him as he shakes his head. "No, I would have regretted it if I didn't take it. But like you,I wish I had let her know somehow." Nick takes a deep breath before he continues "What are you going to do about it?"

Andy smiles as she moves her gaze over to Sam, feels a shiver in her spine when he meets her eyes. "I'm going to buy a cook book."

"What?" Nick asks, a comical look on his face before he continues, "I mean, god knows you need it, but pity eating won't do you any good. No matter how good the food might be."

Andy chuckles, forcing her eyes away from Sam's and motions for Liam's attention. "I'm going to learn how to cook and then I might get a dog." She says proudly, watching Liam pour her another drink.

Nick stares at her like she's grown another head over the last minute, causing Andy to throw her head back in laughter before she waves Liam over to her. "Hey Liam, mind passing this one over to Swarek?" She asks and holds up her glass, still full of scotch. Liam furrows his brows, but gives her a nod before he takes her drink and makes his way across the bar.

Andy gets to her feet and pats Nick on his shoulder. "But before I do any of that, I'm going home to catch up on my sleep."

"Need a ride?" Nick asks, almost half way off the stool before Andy shoves him back down.

She shakes her head and smiles. "No offense Collins, but after spending every day with you for the last six months I'm kinda sick of seeing your face."

Nick laughs and shakes his head at her. "Back at ya, partner."

Just when Andy makes her way towards the exit of the Penny she sees Liam pass her drink to Sam and nod in the direction of Andy. Sam's eyes fly to meet hers, a confused expression on his face before he bites the inside of his cheek to suppress a smile, then takes a sip of her drink. The last thing Andy sees over her shoulder before she disappear behind the doors is Sam chuckling to himself and shaking his head as he holds the glass between his fingers.

Once outside Andy zips her coat all the way up before she tilts her head up to look at the sparkling stars on the sky. "I got time," she whispers and smiles.

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_Thanks for reading and please don't be shy to let me know what you think! :)_


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